Hospice of Chattanooga will hold a very special memorial service on Sunday at 2 p.m. to celebrate the lives of almost a thousand Hospice of Chattanooga patients who died between June 1 and Nov. 30, 2009. It will take place at First Baptist Church of Chattanooga, located at 401 Gateway Ave.
“This memorial service is for more than just grieving family and friends,” explained Susan Latta, a bereavement counselor with Hospice of Chattanooga. “It gives our own employees an opportunity to properly say goodbye to the patients they loved and served. It’s important for us to come together as a community and process this grief we mutually share.”
Hospice of Chattanooga’s new C.E.O., Rev. L. Clark Taylor, Jr., will deliver the welcome address at Sunday’s memorial service. The program will include a lighting of candles, music, and a reading of each deceased patient’s name. Once the service concludes, those in attendance will have an opportunity to visit with Hospice of Chattanooga staff at a brief reception.
Hospice of Chattanooga was founded in 1981. It is the largest not-for-profit hospice in Tennessee, serving more than 550 patients each day. Each year, Hospice of Chattanooga provides more than half a million dollars in unfunded care to families in both Tennessee and North Georgia. For more information about Hospice of Chattanooga, visit www.hospiceofchattanooga.org.